A GOVERNMENT minister last night threw down the gauntlet to Welsh businesses to win armed forces contracts.

A GOVERNMENT minister last night threw down the gauntlet to Welsh businesses to win armed forces contracts.

Speaking at the National Assembly, Armed Forces Minister Adam Ingram challenged companies and organisations based in the Principality to do their utmost to make themselves competitive and win the business.

He spoke of the success of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency based in St Athan, Vale of Glamorgan, which last month won its first major contract under full and open competition for the maintenance of the RAF's Hawk fleet.

He also stressed that the &#xA3;77m Project Red Dragon, the largest construction project under way in Wales, was not under threat.

The investment at St Athan includes developing an aviation business park in a joint venture with the Welsh Development Agency.

"When completed the state- of-the-art facility will be able to accommodate 48 fast jets at any one time and will see this part of Wales become a world force in aerospace technology," he said.

Mr Ingram was at the Assembly as part of a series of programmes to bring representatives of all three armed forces together around the country.

He revealed that Assembly members were due to consider extending a scheme currently operating in the Rhondda which sees former servicemen and women working in schools with children at risk of social exclusion.

Later, Peredur Hughes, president of NFU Cymru, criticised the MoD for using farming land for training without buying the produce.

Mr Ingram defended the MoD, stating that they had to ensure best value for money. Welsh produce was probably at the top end of the market and the MoD would normally use produce "at the other end", he said.